Car Accident Lawyer Maryland Heights, MO. After you have suffered injuries in a car or truck accident, worrying about your job or your family should be the last thing on your mind. Between medical treatment, dealing with trauma, and repairing your car, the impact of an car accident in Maryland Heights, MO can quickly overwhelm anyone, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the monetary reward you deserve.
Contact Our Maryland Heights, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of Maryland Heights, MO who have been in car accidents and are hesitant about how to proceed. Our Maryland Heights car accident lawyer finds evidence, deals with insurance and financial agents, and compiles accident reports on behalf of their clients. We fight fiercely on behalf of all our Maryland Heights, MO auto accident clients to secure them not only fair and just remuneration, but also closure after going through a very troubling experience.
After you’ve been in a Maryland Heights, MO auto accident, don’t hesitate to contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a dedicated Maryland Heights, MO auto accident attorney on your side. Our firm offers no-obligation initial consultations, and vows that you do not win or get a settlement in your Maryland Heights auto accident lawsuit, you owe us nothing.
Giving You One Less Thing To Worry About
A Complete Maryland Heights, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Thousands of cars and trucks take to the road every day in and around Maryland Heights to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Unfortunately, however, every day many car accidents happen, whether due to poorly maintained roads, the negligence of other motorists, or adverse weather conditions. Injuries and property damage can range from bumps and bruises and small scratches and dings, to life-altering ailments and a car so damaged as to be unrecognizable.
As veteran Maryland Heights, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has taken all kinds of car accident claims and personally viewed how the effects of a car accident in Maryland Heights can alter someone’s life, forever in some situations. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and knows the tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying just restitution to Maryland Heights accident victims. We offer client-centered legal strategies that are tailor-made to meet your unique needs and get clients both closure as well as a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Maryland Heights, MO
After you have been in a car accident, it is common for people to be in a state of shock and uncertain how to proceed. However, having dealt with many car accident clients across Maryland Heights, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte recommends that all our clients do the following after their car accident:
- Make sure you are safe. Find a place to stop away from traffic, if possible, and check to see if you have suffered any injuries.
- Call 911. Not only will you need to file a police report after your accident, but if you or a passenger is badly hurt you may need to have an ambulance dispatched. When the police arrive, be honest about the accident but choose your words wisely: statements that suggest guilt can and will be used against you by insurance companies when adjuticating fault.
- Collect all relevant information. Exchange not only your registration, license, and insurance provider, which you are legally required to do, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take pictures. Camera phones now being ubiquitious means that it is very easy to document your Maryland Heights, MO accident and compile evidence. Take photos of skid marks, property damage, physical surroundings, and the point of impact of your accident. If nearby pedestrians saw your accident, it is wise to record what they saw, as it can help your case immensely.
- Get medical attention. If you were hurt as a result of your Maryland Heights car accident, immediately seek out emergency medical care. For smaller injuries, a local urgent care center is a more convenient and cost-effective option than an ER visit. However, larger and more serious injuries will likely necessitate a trip to the hospital, or potentially a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The sooner you talk to a reputable and understanding Maryland Heights, MO car accident lawyer, the sooner they can start working on your case and allow you to get on with recovering from your accident.
In addition to these steps, our firm urges all our clients to keep the following receipts and documentation. They can help immeasurably when negotiating a settlement, or to give a more complete idea of the effect a car accident in Maryland Heights, MO had on your life.
- Medical records
- Pictures of the accident scene
- The full police report of the accident
- Witness accounts
- All medical-related bills (ambulance fees, physical therapy costs, medications, etc.)
- Doctor’s reports and observations
- Repair bills
- Incidental bills including rental car receipts
- Lost earning opportunities
- Records of pain and suffering directly caused by your accident
What Damages Can I Recover After A Car Accident?
In general, there are five kinds of damages an accident victim can claim after a car accident in Maryland Heights, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not only limited to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim costs for prescriptions, psychiatric care, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and necessary medical equipment such as crutches, as well.
- Lost wages/earning potential: in general this is based off of what you were earning prior to the accident, the extent of the impact the accident had on your ability to successfully perform labor, and how the knock-on effects of your accident/injuries may prevent you from working to your full potential in the future.
- Property damage: this includes fixing or replacing your car in addition to any/all personal items or goods that were damaged as a result of your Maryland Heights auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be tough to put into words, since by and large the amount of difficulty one goes through after an accident differs from person to person. In general, though, documenting changes in attitude, mental health and need for therapy, and longer-lasting after-effects of your accident is a good rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe cases, a Maryland Heights, MO car accident may result in someone suffering permanent injuries. While in a substantial number of cases those injuries are permanent and a settlement cannot take away the unspeakable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more opportunity to adapt to their new normal.
It is also critical to note that Missouri is a comparative fault state, which means that the quantity of damages one or more parties can take home is reduced based on how much at fault they were for causing a car accident. Missouri is a pure comparative fault state, which allows for even someone who was judged 99% responsible for an accident to collect a proportional amount of damages.
Contact A Maryland Heights, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the strength and legal knowledge of a top Maryland Heights, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal attention of an individual practice. Our firm has worked with Maryland Heights residents of all backgrounds to secure the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Maryland Heights, MO. We take all our cases on what is referred to as a contingency basis, meaning that unless you get a positive result in your Maryland Heights, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us a penny.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Maryland Heights, MO caused by another party’s negligence, do not hesitate: contact a Maryland Heights car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched consultation.
